Malignaggi’s Reviews on McGregor’s Development

Previously, Jose Aldo has opined about McGregor’s win probability upon Mayweather through ex-opponent’s perspective. Aldo argued that McGregor has no chance on Mayweather. McGregor was lucky to be UFC’s featherweight champion after humiliated Aldo in the 2015. He argued the MMA and Boxing are different kind of sport after all.

However, it’s more interesting to get some “objective” perspective from Paulie Malignaggi as he has sparred McGregor in the camp twice for mega fights. Previously, Malignaggi has confirmed the McGregor’s weakness on taking body punches. However, generally, McGregor has done some improvements during the second sparring session with Malignaggi in the camp.

The sparring is held privately as Malignaggi even couldn’t have a call, video, or bring his trainer. McGregor has brought his dignitaries along with him during the sparring time. Malignaggi recognized some of them as Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White are along with McGregor. The sparring is held for the actual 12 rounds. Malignaggi assessed that McGreggor indeed has showed some fundamental improvement during the first five round of sparring. The improvement mostly about the maneuver and defends. These improvements did make a way better sparring according to Malignaggi opinions.

However, according to the whole assessment, Malignaggi argued that the improvement didn’t take place in the second half of sparring session. Entering the sixth round, Malignaggi feel the different atmosphere as McGregor’s getting hittable and and vulnerable. As the power of Malignaggi punches is increased, McGregor become more hittable and break his defenses. The next rounds has revealed McGregor’s basic weakness about his body’s vulnerabilities in taking punches.

Malignaggi said that Mcgregor himself showed awareness about the fact that he won’t survive the rest camps with this stage of abilities, as there are more sparring sessions in the following days. McGregor did show some calmness and no speaks during the first five rounds. However, since he got vulnerable and hittable in the 6-7 round, McGregor started to talk and brag. In the round 7, which considered as the worst round by Malignaggi, McGregor showed mental weaknesses. He’s getting to talk and brag more as actually he was already knocked out and exhausted. He perceived it by laying down on the ring, and claimed he was win 7-0 upon Malignaggi and continue to trash talk and showing some perceiving acts to take a break. In addition, Malignaggi feels some low respects after sparring as McGregor didn’t admit any good and beneficial sparring times with him.

For McGregor, it’s important to make this Malignaggi’s review into the considerations. The days is counting, according to this review, McGregor should improve his weaknesses related to his stamina, taking body punch, defense, and mental. Mayweather vs McGregor takes place on August 26th at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.